Writers: the magicians of words

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” Gustave Flaubert

What makes a good writer? Some people say that a good writer is a talented communicator who elicits emotion and empathy in the reader through her/his writing. Others say good writers are those who put their soul somehow in their writing and pursue their own excellence. Frankly, the way I see it, good writers are those who feel PASSION in capital letters for the art of writing while having the ‘formula’ for connecting the audience with their story. Of course, it is not that simple, but it is a beginning to describe the art of making imaginations fly!

On the other hand, good writers have something in common: a skilled use of vocabulary since no one enjoys reading the same words and expressions over and over again. Hence, a robust lexicon represents an asset when it comes to writing. Incorporating riveting and unusual words and expressions in a work helps to keep readers’ interest. Puns, figurative language, the combination of smooth and plain prose, and even made up words enrich the writing. But, what elevates writing to its most greatness? The understanding of what it is written because the latter does not make sense if the reader cannot understand the writer’s ‘voice’. Thus, the success lies in captivating the audience with a fresh voice no matter whether it uses big words or resorts to a more simple vocabulary provided that it reflects a charming identity.

Let’s take a look at some fragments of great writers and their vibrant technique:

“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.” Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita. Did she have a precursor? She did, indeed she did. In point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, an initial girl-child. In a princedom by the sea. Oh when? About as many years before Lolita was born as my age was that summer. You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns.” Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

“He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.” Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” Frank Herbert, Dune

How can this magic be done? First of all, brilliant authors write about what moves them emotionally either it is love, sadness, melancholy, hate, passion, pain, intrigue… Another tip renowned writers point is the importance of reading. Even though it may sound like a cliché this habit must not be overlooked, as prolific authors consume tones of books for it becomes easier to create brilliant outputs if you read the best inputs. And the most significant feature of the practice of writing is without any doubt the fact that writers must take pleasure and enjoy what they do otherwise there is no point in writing.

“Writing is not a serious business. It’s a joy and a celebration. You should be having fun with it. Ignore the authors who say ‘Oh, my God, what word? Oh, Jesus Christ…’, you know. Now, to hell with that. It’s not work. If it’s work, stop and do something else.” Ray Bradbury.

Finally, if you are endowed with the gift to do magic with words come to Tierra Trivium and publish with us, because as Tony Morrison says: “if there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

(The images contained in this article are not a property of Tierra Trivium)